Introduction
Earth's Structure / Plate Tectonic/ Plate Boundaries
Earth Science NGSS:
HS-ESS1-5. Evaluate evidence of the past and current movements of continental and oceanic crust and the theory of plate tectonics to explain the ages of crustal rocks. [Clarification Statement: Emphasis is on the ability of plate tectonics to explain the ages of crustal rocks. Examples include evidence of the ages of oceanic crust increasing with distance from mid-ocean ridges as a result of plate spreading and that the North American continental crust contains a much older central ancient core compared to the surrounding continental crust as a result of complex and numerous plate interactions.]
HS-ESS2-1. Develop a model to illustrate how Earth’s internal and surface processes operate at different spatial and temporal scales to form continental and ocean-floor features. [Clarification Statement: Emphasis is on how the appearance of land features (such as mountains, valleys, and plateaus) and sea-floor features (such as trenches, ridges, and seamounts) are a result of both constructive processes (such as volcanism, tectonic uplift, and deposition) and destructive processes (such as weathering, subduction, and coastal erosion).] [Assessment Boundary: Assessment does not include recalling the details of the formation of specific geographic features of Earth’s surface.]
NYS Earth Science Standards:
2.1j Properties of Earth’s internal structure (crust, mantle, inner core, and outer core) can be inferred from the analysis of the behavior of seismic waves (including velocity and refraction).
2.1l The lithosphere consists of separate plates that ride on the more fluid asthenosphere and move slowly in relationship to one another, creating convergent, divergent, and transform plate boundaries. These motions indicate Earth is a dynamic geologic system. • These plate boundaries are the sites of most earthquakes, volcanoes, and young mountain ranges. • Compared to continental crust, ocean crust is thinner and denser. New ocean crust continues to form at mid-ocean ridges8
Class: Special Education
Grade level: 9th
By Simar Singh
Task
PartI: Earth’s Structure. Use the following links to learn about the different layers of the Earth and to find the answers to the questions that follows:
Follow the text link below to go to the interactive lesson: Click to start exploring the tour.
Then click on each highlighted layer (name) and learn details on each layer.
https://www.learner.org/series/interactive-dynamic-earth/
Process
Part 2 Plate Tectonics:
On the top of the interactive slide select plate tectonics and the plate and boundaries to learn about them and answer the questions.
https://www.learner.org/series/interactive-dynamic-earth/
Evaluation
Click on the link below for the reference Table of Physical Setting- Earth Science on Plate Tectonics/Plate Boundaries for more information while answering questions 4-8 below.
Now refer to Part 1: Earth's Structure and answer questions 1-3:
1.The lithosphere is made up of the ________ and a tiny bit of the _________ ___________.
2. The plates of the lithosphere move (or float) on this hot, malleable __________ _________ zone in the upper mantle, directly underneath the lithosphere. This is known as the _______________________.
3. The layer of Earth that is the only liquid layer is the ___________ ___________.
Now Refer to Part 2: Plate Tectonics and answer questions
4. What did Earth look like 250 million years ago?
5. The continents of Earth were clustered together in formation that a scientist named ______________.
6. The scientist that named “Pangaea” was a German scientist by the name of ____________ _____________ . He theorized that “Pangaea" split apart and the different landmasses, or continents, drifted to their current locations on the globe. Wegener’s theories of plate movement became the basis for the development of the theory of ____________ ________________.
7. The place where the two plates meet is called a ____________________.
8. Boundaries have different names depending on how the two plates are moving in relationship to each other.
A. If two plates are pushing towards each other it is called a _______________________.
B. If two plates are moving apart from each other it is called a ______________________.